tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27296750Fri, 09 Sep 2016 14:43:18 +0000design lineleslie victoria lelandmarkel lelandoriginal paintingsreal life stuffshi-chi'sLucy and the Puppiesflowersnew developmentsmarkel sunsmini'soriginal sculpturepaintingsfishleslie sunsour work spaceIsland Style GalleryRed Shoesclosing the storeFlorida Keysbutterfliesfrogstabletop sculptureCatherine Thursbyabstract paintingsblue artflamingoeshummingbirdshurricaneskidslarge catslarge jumping fishmaddi's gallerymermaidsmirrorspurplebabydaddieswinterAnn ArborAnn Arbor Art FairsMangoes in the KeysSomerset Jewelersart fairsfairy doorsjoyce tennysonkiki smithmother and child paintingsshi chi'sshichi'sthe barnyellow flowerspurplebabydaddieshttp://purplebabydaddies.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Leslie Victoria-Leland)Blogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27296750.post-7253628822657355711Sun, 10 Feb 2008 23:31:00 +00002008-02-10T18:31:57.357-05:00winter work<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/R6-JaaaVAJI/AAAAAAAAAc4/mneWF7Er7AU/s1600-h/DSC07403.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/R6-JaaaVAJI/AAAAAAAAAc4/mneWF7Er7AU/s320/DSC07403.jpg" border="0" /></a> <br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/R6-JbKaVAKI/AAAAAAAAAdA/2GOCFW1OpKo/s1600-h/DSC07402.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/R6-JbKaVAKI/AAAAAAAAAdA/2GOCFW1OpKo/s320/DSC07402.jpg" border="0" /></a> <br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/R6-JbKaVALI/AAAAAAAAAdI/VxHEsDtI9T4/s1600-h/DSC07400.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/R6-JbKaVALI/AAAAAAAAAdI/VxHEsDtI9T4/s320/DSC07400.jpg" border="0" /></a> <br />All the above are works in progress as we make our way through the the thickest part of the winter now. Having pure colors to work with counteracts the browns, greys, and whites of deep winter. We are filling our galleries with flowers, flamingoes, mermaids, and doing a bit of of our original work.<div style='clear:both; text-align:NONE'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>http://purplebabydaddies.blogspot.com/2008/02/winter-work.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Leslie Victoria-Leland)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27296750.post-8393530798445872655Sat, 26 Jan 2008 17:24:00 +00002008-01-26T12:24:32.545-05:00January 2008<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/R5tszHQhhEI/AAAAAAAAAcY/PcLTOrxaNgc/s1600-h/DSCN3960.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/R5tszHQhhEI/AAAAAAAAAcY/PcLTOrxaNgc/s320/DSCN3960.JPG" border="0" /></a> <br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/R5tsznQhhFI/AAAAAAAAAcg/f6EJs46Xc8I/s1600-h/DSCN4079.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/R5tsznQhhFI/AAAAAAAAAcg/f6EJs46Xc8I/s320/DSCN4079.JPG" border="0" /></a> <br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/R5tsznQhhGI/AAAAAAAAAco/1_HrKysMss8/s1600-h/DSCN4093.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/R5tsznQhhGI/AAAAAAAAAco/1_HrKysMss8/s320/DSCN4093.JPG" border="0" /></a> <br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/R5tsz3QhhHI/AAAAAAAAAcw/bsHhJh-6p54/s1600-h/DSCN3988.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/R5tsz3QhhHI/AAAAAAAAAcw/bsHhJh-6p54/s320/DSCN3988.JPG" border="0" /></a><div style='clear:both; text-align:NONE'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>http://purplebabydaddies.blogspot.com/2008/01/january-2008.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Leslie Victoria-Leland)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27296750.post-1138907748406050693Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:41:00 +00002008-01-24T19:42:01.189-05:00hello again!<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/R5kwU3QhhAI/AAAAAAAAAb4/5ev3Bhz4-xw/s1600-h/Leslie%27s+Pictures+039.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/R5kwU3QhhAI/AAAAAAAAAb4/5ev3Bhz4-xw/s320/Leslie%27s+Pictures+039.jpg" border="0" /></a> <br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/R5kwVnQhhBI/AAAAAAAAAcA/CXiYSXVpLYY/s1600-h/Leslie%27s+Pictures+168.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/R5kwVnQhhBI/AAAAAAAAAcA/CXiYSXVpLYY/s320/Leslie%27s+Pictures+168.jpg" border="0" /></a> <br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/R5kwV3QhhCI/AAAAAAAAAcI/7_M4Ci45JkE/s1600-h/Leslie%27s+Pictures+158.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/R5kwV3QhhCI/AAAAAAAAAcI/7_M4Ci45JkE/s320/Leslie%27s+Pictures+158.jpg" border="0" /></a> <br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/R5kwWHQhhDI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/zk6PI5X7elk/s1600-h/Leslie%27s+Pictures+150.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/R5kwWHQhhDI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/zk6PI5X7elk/s320/Leslie%27s+Pictures+150.jpg" border="0" /></a><div style='clear:both; text-align:NONE'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>http://purplebabydaddies.blogspot.com/2008/01/hello-again.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Leslie Victoria-Leland)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27296750.post-1418690060187102584Mon, 13 Aug 2007 11:57:00 +00002007-08-13T06:58:04.040-05:00Charlevoix Waterfront Art Fair (August 11, 2007)<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RsBHSZYg5KI/AAAAAAAAAY4/ZSoVERHc5BU/s1600-h/dscn4890.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RsBHSZYg5KI/AAAAAAAAAY4/ZSoVERHc5BU/s400/dscn4890.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RsBHSpYg5LI/AAAAAAAAAZA/v4z_h-uUWRM/s1600-h/dscn4891.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RsBHSpYg5LI/AAAAAAAAAZA/v4z_h-uUWRM/s400/dscn4891.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RsBHSpYg5MI/AAAAAAAAAZI/pp_wSVK7eIg/s1600-h/DSCN4895.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RsBHSpYg5MI/AAAAAAAAAZI/pp_wSVK7eIg/s400/DSCN4895.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RsBHS5Yg5NI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/IHbKw_Xx_Wk/s1600-h/dscn4898.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RsBHS5Yg5NI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/IHbKw_Xx_Wk/s400/dscn4898.JPG" border="0" /></a><div style='clear:both; text-align:NONE'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>http://purplebabydaddies.blogspot.com/2007/08/charlevoix-waterfront-art-fair-august.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Leslie Victoria-Leland)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27296750.post-514735440807716924Mon, 13 Aug 2007 11:52:00 +00002007-08-13T06:53:16.099-05:00after the show, the beach<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RsBGJpYg5GI/AAAAAAAAAYY/Dz_blsr5zlw/s1600-h/DSCN4906.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RsBGJpYg5GI/AAAAAAAAAYY/Dz_blsr5zlw/s320/DSCN4906.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RsBGKJYg5HI/AAAAAAAAAYg/OLNDxgA984o/s1600-h/dscn4907.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RsBGKJYg5HI/AAAAAAAAAYg/OLNDxgA984o/s320/dscn4907.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RsBGKpYg5II/AAAAAAAAAYo/SlKlTQvOcTQ/s1600-h/dscn4911.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RsBGKpYg5II/AAAAAAAAAYo/SlKlTQvOcTQ/s320/dscn4911.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RsBGK5Yg5JI/AAAAAAAAAYw/RgMEI0eNXlM/s1600-h/DSCN4912.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RsBGK5Yg5JI/AAAAAAAAAYw/RgMEI0eNXlM/s320/DSCN4912.jpg" border="0" /></a><div style='clear:both; text-align:NONE'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>http://purplebabydaddies.blogspot.com/2007/08/after-show-beach.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Leslie Victoria-Leland)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27296750.post-4252476119481860265Sun, 22 Jul 2007 02:38:00 +00002007-07-22T14:54:27.117-05:00Ann ArborAnn Arbor Art Fairsart fairsour work spacereal life stuffPurplebabydaddies at the Ann Arbor Art Fair<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RqLDM5Yg46I/AAAAAAAAAW4/Qg-YSYBT85M/s1600-h/DSCN4876.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RqLDM5Yg46I/AAAAAAAAAW4/Qg-YSYBT85M/s400/DSCN4876.JPG" border="0" /></a> We're back, amazingly enough, in the exact spot where Markel and I met 15 years ago <em>today!</em> For anyone who doesn't know, the Ann Arbor Fairs are an extravaganza, the largest art fair in the country, the world, as a matter of fact. There are 4 major fairs and 3 or 4 unofficial fairs, plus every merchant in town either rents out their sidewalk space or exhibits their wares, outside, themselves.<br /><br />We have been busy with our store(s) for the past 8 years (one on Liberty Street in Ann Arbor and then two subsequent locations in Key West), but now that we have closed all of the stores we are back to doing art fairs. Hal Stevens, who used to run the Ohio Designer Shows and knows us from there, called us and offered us an exhibit spot last winter. Of all of the thousands of spaces in this whole town that we could have been offered it just so happened that he offered us the spot where Markel and I first met and fell in love.<br /><br />We have been back in Ann Arbor since last Fall. We have been wrapped in a cocoon of our own making, rejuvenating, recuperating from the devastating loss of our beloved store. What can you do but pick up the pieces, reassemble them, learn, and make something of equal or surpassing beauty.<br /><br />We have been selling wholesale for the past 11 months to the wonderful galleries from around the country who loyally buy from us again and again. This was the official beginning of our return to doing art fairs, made more auspiciously special by magically occuring in the exact space where Markel and I first met and began our lives together as a family and as collaborating artists for the first time exactly 15 years ago today.<br /><br />In spite of the fact that we didn't advertise, we were amazed and flattered by how many of our loyal and enthusiastic collectors found us. Scary clouds filled with tornadoes swirled around us on Thursday causing damage in nearby towns, and a very shaky Michigan economy dampened overall sales somewhat, but all in all we had a good show. It was like a 4 day reunion party, running into our friends who stopped by to visit and sit in our extra chairs, friends who didn't know we were back in town who were surprised to find us, and customers who have been collecting our work for years, some since we first began showing, came and added pieces to their collections . Thank you so much everyone who came and said hello and bought from us. We are truly glad to be back in our beloved and bustlingly thriving, Ann Arbor.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RqLDOpYg47I/AAAAAAAAAXA/nI7TgcMoN7k/s1600-h/dscn4880.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RqLDOpYg47I/AAAAAAAAAXA/nI7TgcMoN7k/s400/dscn4880.JPG" border="0" /></a> Is there anything lovelier than an art fair morning, strolling with coffees and a bagel. The weather was gorgeous after the storms passed by on Thursday.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RqLDPpYg48I/AAAAAAAAAXI/sWgszsRaB6s/s1600-h/DSCN4881.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RqLDPpYg48I/AAAAAAAAAXI/sWgszsRaB6s/s400/DSCN4881.JPG" border="0" /></a> You can see our work in the background. We were beside a lovely display of fountains by artists from Arizona.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RqLDRpYg49I/AAAAAAAAAXQ/ld6z-Ce2-qc/s1600-h/DSCN4877.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RqLDRpYg49I/AAAAAAAAAXQ/ld6z-Ce2-qc/s400/DSCN4877.JPG" border="0" /></a> Everything was a big hit.....Now on to Charlevoix Waterfront Fair on August 11th. In closing, a couple of little quotes that have helped me through the hard times.<br /><em></em><br /><em>Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person is a little like expecting the bull not to attack you because you're a vegetarian. -</em>Dennis Wholey<br /><br />...and<br /><em></em><br /><em>Growth begins when we start to accept our own weakness. -</em>Jean Vanier<br /><em></em><br /><div style="CLEAR: both"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: 0% 50%; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial" alt="Posted by Picasa" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>http://purplebabydaddies.blogspot.com/2007/07/purplebabydaddies-at-ann-arbor-art-fair.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Leslie Victoria-Leland)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27296750.post-8037248572224728806Sun, 08 Jul 2007 01:19:00 +00002007-07-07T20:58:01.946-05:00design linemini'sshi-chi'sbye-bye babies<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RpA7tdr39II/AAAAAAAAAWg/Itc5D6leVKc/s1600-h/DSCN4836.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RpA7tdr39II/AAAAAAAAAWg/Itc5D6leVKc/s400/DSCN4836.jpg" border="0" /></a> Well, off they went, our last two little boys, with an adorable family.....sigh. This is Allene with her two grand-children. She came for one of the puppies and left with two!!! Her daughter and grand-children had a little bit to do with that....but, we are actually thrilled with her decision because Angel and Corky loved to wrestle and play with one another and then would curl up together to sleep. That's why Allene took them both. She wanted them each to have a playmate and dog companionship. I've always thought dogs who are pack animals are happier in pairs. I think they are going to have a charmed life, wintering in South Carolina and summers back in Ann Arbor.<br /><br />In spite of how good we feel about the match it's been a sad couple of days around here. Lucy the mother of the pups has been looking for them ever since they left, a concern Allene and her family had, and that I didn't realize would be an issue. We've been giving her extra attention and treats.<br /><br />Thw reason I wasn't more prepared for her worried behavior I remembered, is that we have always kept at least one puppy from every litter, or a close family member or friend has kept one and they visited every day.... so the mama has always had at least one puppy to be with....and so have we. It's a little pitiful around here right now as we get used to having all three of them gone.....poof, did it ever happen? Thankfully, our friend took one, so we will be able to watch <em>him</em> grow up, though they live an hour away.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RpA7vNr39JI/AAAAAAAAAWo/hNsJjwV7zAQ/s1600-h/DSCN4832.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RpA7vNr39JI/AAAAAAAAAWo/hNsJjwV7zAQ/s400/DSCN4832.jpg" border="0" /></a> We just got the final wholesale orders out the door and down the road and now we are in full swing for the <a href="http://www.annarbor.org/events/artfairs.asp">Ann Arbor Art Fairs </a>in mid-July with the <a href="http://www.charlevoixwaterfrontartfair.org/">Charlevoix Waterfront Art Fair </a>in mid-August close on Ann Arbor's heels. (Don't worry Lisa, we're working on your small flower, which will be gracing your garden soon....)<br /><br />The pieces shown above and below are mini-sculptures heading for Somerset Gallery in Ocean City, Maryland<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RpA7wNr39KI/AAAAAAAAAWw/_OFykb6h37s/s1600-h/dscn4830.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RpA7wNr39KI/AAAAAAAAAWw/_OFykb6h37s/s400/dscn4830.JPG" border="0" /></a> Mini-mermaids for Somerset Gallery in Ocean City, Maryland. <div style="CLEAR: both"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: 0% 50%; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial" alt="Posted by Picasa" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>http://purplebabydaddies.blogspot.com/2007/07/bye-bye-babies.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Leslie Victoria-Leland)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27296750.post-9202567100834319113Mon, 02 Jul 2007 00:39:00 +00002007-07-02T11:10:25.228-05:00shi-chi'sIt's all about the Shi-chi's<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RohJQ6xEXzI/AAAAAAAAAWA/MSueVW-i73Q/s1600-h/dscn4782.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RohJQ6xEXzI/AAAAAAAAAWA/MSueVW-i73Q/s400/dscn4782.JPG" border="0" /></a> It's all about the shi-chi's for a minute because we have two shi-chi's for sale. I have listed them in the Ann Arbor News with a link to this blog. ( If you're looking for art, don't give up, scroll down, or click on one of the labels on the right hand side of the page).<br /><br />Shi-Chi's are a hybrid breed, the result of breeding a full breed shih-tzu male, (both parents are shown below) with a full breed chihuahua female. There were three puppies in this litter, all male. The were born on May 10th, 2007 between 2a.m. and 4a.m. This is the second litter we've had of shi-chi's. They are wonderful dogs. These puppies will be 6-10 pounds when full grown<br /><br />The listing came out today and the price is misquoted as being $600 for each, but we are actually asking $350 for each of them. Corrections will be in the paper by tuesday, the 3rd of July.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RohJQ6xEX0I/AAAAAAAAAWI/hlXhqKE_6wg/s1600-h/DSCN4578.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RohJQ6xEX0I/AAAAAAAAAWI/hlXhqKE_6wg/s400/DSCN4578.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />If you have found this site and you're interested in one of these puppies come and see them. Money is not the object, finding good homes is the most important thing to us.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RohJRKxEX1I/AAAAAAAAAWQ/YQ6s1cNbwzY/s1600-h/DSCN4561.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RohJRKxEX1I/AAAAAAAAAWQ/YQ6s1cNbwzY/s400/DSCN4561.JPG" border="0" /></a> This is Jack, the handsome 9 pound shih-tzu father of the puppies. Lucy, their 7 pound chihuahua mother is shown below. Lucy is the daughter of a 5 pound short hair chihuahua and a 7 pound long-hair chihuahua (a litter mate of a dog owned by Madonna).<br />Call us if you want to meet these little boys in person. There are a lot more photos of these little boys taken from their birth and every week since, click on shi-chi's listed under labels, under this post.<br />Call if you're interested-<br />$350 each- 734-657-7734<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RohJRKxEX2I/AAAAAAAAAWY/-rf4rwuCSAA/s1600-h/DSCN4556.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RohJRKxEX2I/AAAAAAAAAWY/-rf4rwuCSAA/s400/DSCN4556.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="CLEAR: both"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: 0% 50%; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial" alt="Posted by Picasa" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>http://purplebabydaddies.blogspot.com/2007/07/its-all-about-shi-chis.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Leslie Victoria-Leland)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27296750.post-4975256275974610658Fri, 29 Jun 2007 18:46:00 +00002007-07-01T19:52:37.966-05:00Lucy and the Puppiesshi chi'sshi-chi'sshichi'sshi-chi's all grown up and ready for families<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RoVTe6xEXwI/AAAAAAAAAVk/C_37raOqzbM/s1600-h/dscn4771.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RoVTe6xEXwI/AAAAAAAAAVk/C_37raOqzbM/s400/dscn4771.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RoVTe6xEXxI/AAAAAAAAAVs/Q30anavM3sw/s1600-h/dscn4781.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RoVTe6xEXxI/AAAAAAAAAVs/Q30anavM3sw/s400/dscn4781.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RoVTfKxEXyI/AAAAAAAAAV0/3G2Wj9XcNvo/s1600-h/dscn4774.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RoVTfKxEXyI/AAAAAAAAAV0/3G2Wj9XcNvo/s400/dscn4774.JPG" border="0" /></a> <div style="CLEAR: both"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: 0% 50%; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial" alt="Posted by Picasa" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>http://purplebabydaddies.blogspot.com/2007/06/shi-chis-all-grown-up-and-ready-for.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Leslie Victoria-Leland)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27296750.post-166866960359030825Fri, 29 Jun 2007 18:36:00 +00002007-06-29T13:43:42.992-05:00shi-chi'sshi-chi's 8 weeks old<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RoVRVaxEXsI/AAAAAAAAAVE/rj6_yeayoRs/s1600-h/DSCN4789.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RoVRVaxEXsI/AAAAAAAAAVE/rj6_yeayoRs/s400/DSCN4789.JPG" border="0" /></a> I put the ad in the Ann Arbor News classified just a few minutes ago with a link to this blog. It will start running on the 1st of July, this Sunday The time has gone by so quickly. Our good friend took one of the puppies already, the person who owned the <em>grandparents</em> of Lucy, shown here with one of the pups for sale. If you're at this site specifically to see the puppies, click on the link below, that says shi-chi's<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RoVRVaxEXtI/AAAAAAAAAVM/wgkvP0s21zw/s1600-h/dscn4794.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RoVRVaxEXtI/AAAAAAAAAVM/wgkvP0s21zw/s400/dscn4794.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RoVRVqxEXuI/AAAAAAAAAVU/M0vT6hz95p0/s1600-h/dscn4803.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RoVRVqxEXuI/AAAAAAAAAVU/M0vT6hz95p0/s400/dscn4803.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RoVRVqxEXvI/AAAAAAAAAVc/SVTrjFSxQ4o/s1600-h/dscn4819.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RoVRVqxEXvI/AAAAAAAAAVc/SVTrjFSxQ4o/s400/dscn4819.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div style="CLEAR: both"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: 0% 50%; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial" alt="Posted by Picasa" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>http://purplebabydaddies.blogspot.com/2007/06/shi-chis-8-weeks-old.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Leslie Victoria-Leland)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27296750.post-6179111422916836638Sat, 23 Jun 2007 15:45:00 +00002007-06-23T12:26:00.240-05:00joyce tennysonkiki smithleslie victoria lelandreal life stuffLetting it Happen<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rn1AIwC_JPI/AAAAAAAAAUs/hJHVnTwVBr0/s1600-h/DSCN4726.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rn1AIwC_JPI/AAAAAAAAAUs/hJHVnTwVBr0/s400/DSCN4726.JPG" border="0" /></a> Can I really be 52 years old? It doesn't seem possible to me to be at an age that I considered as a child, even as a young adult, to be so old. I wince at the thought of how I projected my idea of someone as being old on others as recently as last year....I don't feel any different than I did at 32 , or 28. Now I know that even my mother and her sisters in their 70's and 80's feel that way too. Our bodies age but our spirits continue to renew and transform.<br /><br />Has the counter-culture generation decided to age differently, to redefine aging? Probably so, it has redefined everything else. I am encouraged and excited to see alternatively minded communities forming for aging hippies, baby-boomers, particularly artists who haven't got much of a retirement plan in place....who, "if it felt good, did it"<br /><br />The mother of invention is leading people to form back to the land, communal type, living arrangements. Shared land, studios, gardens, meals, yoga, exercise, swimming pools, pool halls. We are all so much better off as a community. We can do so much more when we put money, ideas, entertainment, information together. Stripped of convention, the baby boomers are going to figure it out.<br /><br />I am trying out letting my hair go grey. It's a big step and I reconsider it often, but so far I'm liking it. My hair grows so quickly that I was having to recover the grey every 4 weeks. I can't afford the time or the money that it takes to go to the salon and have it done professionally and I hated how it turned out when I tried to do it myself. Unfortunately, you can't go get your hair died grey to make growing out the color easier and the other the other option to cut it all off and start over isn't much better. I'm just winging it, letting it grow out, multi-colored as it is. My inspiration are the beautiful women who I encounter everywhere I go with beautiful grey hair.<br /><br />I'm inspired by <a href="http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/2003/kikismith">Kiki Smith</a>, top photo. Gorgeous, isn't she?......And also one of the most influential women artists in the world today. Her sculptures and prints present life, women, nature with all of it's grittiness, beauty, mess. She doesn't idealize it, she shows the truth.....the woman in her painting, sitting prettily in the garden has grass stains on her knees, mud on her elbows.<br /><br />Another subject for her is art about the holy spirit, magic, spirituality, the big mystery that's so hard to pin down, yet so lovely to consider. She is known to be a big collaborator, loving to share studio/work space, working with people who know techniques that she utilizes to create her work<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rn1AJQC_JQI/AAAAAAAAAU0/gfcMdUVZUHc/s1600-h/DSCN4598.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rn1AJQC_JQI/AAAAAAAAAU0/gfcMdUVZUHc/s400/DSCN4598.JPG" border="0" /></a> ....and then there is this glowing, ethereal, lovely woman. This is a photograph of Betty Silverstein from the book, <em>Wise Women: A Celebration of Their Insights, Courage, and Beauty</em>, by the renowned photographer <a href="http://berk-edu.com/RESEARCH/joyceTennyson/index.html">Joyce Tennyson</a>. Betty is quoted in the book as saying, "People often stop me now and tell me I'm beautiful. I never had this happen when I was younger. So for me aging has, at least on the surface, made others more interested in me and who I am".<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rn1AJwC_JRI/AAAAAAAAAU8/u6AY9KP0a4U/s1600-h/DSCN4729.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rn1AJwC_JRI/AAAAAAAAAU8/u6AY9KP0a4U/s400/DSCN4729.JPG" border="0" /></a> .....then there is this wild woman, an artist/designer who dies her hair yellow-orange. I can't promise that I won't go there too. I'll do whatever I feel like doing at the time. No rules of the hair color kind bind me. I have other rules: to be kind, do my best to do the right thing, keep growing, expanding, learning, creating and thinking outside of the box....big rules, no matter what color my hair is.<br /><br /><div style="CLEAR: both"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: 0% 50%; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial" alt="Posted by Picasa" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>http://purplebabydaddies.blogspot.com/2007/06/letting-it-happen.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Leslie Victoria-Leland)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27296750.post-6247429693695115406Sat, 16 Jun 2007 11:42:00 +00002007-06-19T07:21:37.090-05:00design linemarkel lelandnew developmentsoriginal sculpturepaintingsSummertime<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RnPMkQC_JOI/AAAAAAAAAUk/NdAwXqmEyh8/s1600-h/leslie+painting+body+detail.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RnPMkQC_JOI/AAAAAAAAAUk/NdAwXqmEyh8/s320/leslie+painting+body+detail.JPG" border="0" /></a> This is still a blog about art, though my recent postings haven't exactly reflected that. Has anyone else noticed that blogging goes a little slower in the summer, the writing of them as well as the reading of them? We are still working hard, making pieces for our orders, spending the better part of our days working, but when we <em>aren't</em> working there are barbeques, a glorious front porch to sit and dream on, walks to Ann Arbor's bustling downtown, puppies, children, families and friends to play with, gardens to grow. I write the blog in my mind, though enjoying the long summer days seems to be what is capturing me. Happy Summer. <div style="CLEAR: both"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: 0% 50%; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial" alt="Posted by Picasa" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>http://purplebabydaddies.blogspot.com/2007/06/summertime.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Leslie Victoria-Leland)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27296750.post-4517178720042232490Tue, 12 Jun 2007 03:23:00 +00002007-07-01T20:13:39.270-05:00Lucy and the Puppiesreal life stuffshi-chi'sShichi's:4.5 weeks old<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rm4RxwC_JKI/AAAAAAAAAUE/LUhBWPtBZyU/s1600-h/DSCN4737.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rm4RxwC_JKI/AAAAAAAAAUE/LUhBWPtBZyU/s320/DSCN4737.JPG" border="0" /></a> I'm a little behind in the 4 week old pics of these little guys. They become more fun by the minute. They are really starting to play now, rolling and biting each others tails and barking these little miniature barks that are adorable.<br /><br />I have introduced puppy food this week, moistened with lots of water, which they have been very interested in. They sniff it and then back up and jump a little, then come back and sniff again, tossing themselves sideways comically. They seem delighted with this new event, a little confused, but figuring it out. As usual the last born, Angel, the trail blazer was the first to actually spend a significant amount of time eating.<br /><br />Lucy, their Mom, even though I have continued to cook a hearty mash consisting of chicken, brown rice, peas and corn which I feed her three times a day, climbs into the wading pool, the puppies' daytime home, and promptly polishes off all of the moistened puppy chow that I have set out for them, on top of all of the food she has been getting. Eating is her favorite thing in the whole wide world. I'm going to have to separate Mom from pups at meal times. She is still nursing them of course, but not as much as she had been.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rm4RyAC_JLI/AAAAAAAAAUM/kqZRalExMH4/s1600-h/DSCN4713.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rm4RyAC_JLI/AAAAAAAAAUM/kqZRalExMH4/s320/DSCN4713.JPG" border="0" /></a> Corky is completely sweet, very mellow and cuddly.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rm4RyAC_JMI/AAAAAAAAAUU/HVDLrKgSzY0/s1600-h/DSCN4725.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rm4RyAC_JMI/AAAAAAAAAUU/HVDLrKgSzY0/s320/DSCN4725.JPG" border="0" /></a> My husband Markel with Peanut....this really gives a good perspective on how tiny they really are. I'm guessing that they will be between 5-8 pounds full grown.<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rm4RyQC_JNI/AAAAAAAAAUc/iF7wODHu2EI/s1600-h/DSCN4721.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rm4RyQC_JNI/AAAAAAAAAUc/iF7wODHu2EI/s320/DSCN4721.JPG" border="0" /></a> This is Angel, the trail blazer and the one that we will keep.....I think. I love them all and can't imagine saying good-bye to any of them. This week we will start on their shots.<br /><br />I will list them for sale in the classified section of the Ann Arbor News with greater intention when they are 6 weeks old, but not let them go till they are 8 weeks old, which will be the 1oth of July. If anyone is interested, Corky and Peanut will be for sale (it freaks me out to even talk about them being for sale....they are still very much my babies and I am going to carefully screen potential buyers).<br /><br />We are charging $600 each. For more information on designer ShiChi's, a recognized hybrid breed, click on <a href="http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/shichi.htm">shichi<br /></a><br />.....Get in touch if you think you might like to have one of these babies for your own. They are going to be mellow, smart, tiny dogs who will be completely devoted to whoever decides to adopt them. <a href="mailto:leslievictorialeland@hotmail.com">leslievictorialeland@hotmail.com</a> for inquiries about buying a pup.<br /><br /><div style="CLEAR: both"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: 0% 50%; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial" alt="Posted by Picasa" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>http://purplebabydaddies.blogspot.com/2007/06/shi-chis4-weeks-old.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Leslie Victoria-Leland)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27296750.post-4807975620024246104Fri, 08 Jun 2007 19:41:00 +00002007-07-01T20:14:19.386-05:00kidsreal life stuffFireworks for Miss Junie<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rmmw0wC_JGI/AAAAAAAAATk/8PAT2OqTolc/s1600-h/551793417109_0_ALB.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rmmw0wC_JGI/AAAAAAAAATk/8PAT2OqTolc/s320/551793417109_0_ALB.jpg" border="0" /></a> Purplebabydaddies is not only involved in the making of art, we also are involved in producing fabulous people and puppies (4 week old shi-chi pics in a day or two)....<br /><br />So yes, we've been working hard making artwork, but the big news is that, Oh my, Miss June has turned two this week!<br /><br />I swear to you, one day they are newborns and the next day they are 25. It happens faster than you think, all of you young families out there. I remember how grueling being a young parent can be, the sleeplessness, the tantrums, the endless laundry, so trust me, I'm not here lecturing.<br /><br />Being a parent is one of the most rewarding and yet hardest things you will ever do, but the amazing thing is that, one day, they are newborns, and then the next day, they are <em>all grown up,</em> with newborns of their own. I'm not kidding, life may be long, but it can also go very fast.....Advice to take or leave: listen to the grandparents in your life, when they suggest that you savor these years and realize that parenting your children will be the <strong>most </strong>important thing that you ever do (along with all of the other very important things that you do).<br /><br />But I digress, what <em>is</em> this grand-parenting phenomenom? I mean we love our kids but then our grandchildren come along and you <strong>LOVE</strong> them, just like that, in <strong>CAPITOL LETTERS</strong> and it's not just me, this is a "thing", a "condition". My fellow grand-parent friends are infected too, so I know it's not just Markel and I. A common explanation that I hear is that grand-parents go ga-ga because they don't have the same responsibility for the kids that they once had with their own children so they enjoy them more, but I don't think that's all of it, maybe a part, but not the big important reason.<br /><br />I think the love and connection is heightened also because of the gained perspective of the time factor; you realize how fleeting and precious these years of littleness are, and how important they are in building self-esteem, sense of self, all of the things that make the foundations for a healthy adult....and you don't get those years back. Speaking for myself and some of my friends we've realized some things that we would have liked to have done better with our own children, from that birds-eye-view perspective. One thing I know for certain is that you want to be sure to arm these precious babies with as much strength of character, kindness, and integrity as you can, as they go out into this complicated world we live in as independant adults.<br /><br />Grandparents have seen that those teeming little bundles of emotion, willfullness, and desire that you alternately wrangle and are enchanted by on a daily basis, do grow up and become adults, who you can actually enjoy as fellow adult people, even when they are still your children ....or your own parents for that matter, the <em>great-grand-parents.</em> My parents are still the life of every party, cracking jokes, singing songs, talking politics. I remember watching their parties from the bannister. Now we are at the parties all together. How wonderful to appreciate them as parents, children, <em>and</em> as peers.<br /><br />Amazing to think that, god willing and a firm knock on wood, Markel and I will have the pleasure of enjoying <em>our</em> grandchildren<em> </em>as adults some day as well. Right now though, I am delighted with their delightful and delicious, 2-year and 8 year-old-ishness.<br /><br />We have two <em>other</em> daughters who haven't even gotten started on this whole baby thing and when they do we'll want to go and be with <em>them</em>....that will be a juggle because one is in New Hampshire and the other one is in Manhattan (they are both talking about having babies in the next few years)and then we have these darlings in Michigan.....<br /><br />My opinionated opinion is that this country is just too big and in our culture we all go apart way too easily. I like the idea of families doing the best that they can to stay in the same vicinity, though I know it isn't always possible, and breaks a lot of hearts. As artists we are lucky; we can make our art work anywhere.....and voila, here we are back at art.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rmmw1AC_JHI/AAAAAAAAATs/o8Kk8qVfD9w/s1600-h/751804417109_0_ALB.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rmmw1AC_JHI/AAAAAAAAATs/o8Kk8qVfD9w/s320/751804417109_0_ALB.jpg" border="0" /></a> this is our darling Michael, who will always be our first grandchild......and who likes to be assured that we remember that.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rmmw1AC_JII/AAAAAAAAAT0/xiM-T_VYYMY/s1600-h/315814417109_0_ALB.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rmmw1AC_JII/AAAAAAAAAT0/xiM-T_VYYMY/s320/315814417109_0_ALB.jpg" border="0" /></a> diligently waiting for birthday dinner (which was well worth the wait)....<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rmmw1AC_JJI/AAAAAAAAAT8/D30bmZH7hzs/s1600-h/854804417109_0_ALB.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rmmw1AC_JJI/AAAAAAAAAT8/D30bmZH7hzs/s320/854804417109_0_ALB.jpg" border="0" /></a> my darling birthday girl with her new Dora the explorer doll, and moi.<br /><br />oh and psssssst: If you came here looking for art, not my musings on being a grand-parent, click on design line on the list of labels or click on this- leslie and markel's <a href="http://www.leslieandmarkelleland.blogspot.com/">original art</a>.....that will at least get you started.<br />Ciao!<br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="CLEAR: both"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: 0% 50%; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial" alt="Posted by Picasa" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>http://purplebabydaddies.blogspot.com/2007/06/fireworks-for-miss-junie.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Leslie Victoria-Leland)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27296750.post-8441189662423051716Fri, 01 Jun 2007 22:42:00 +00002007-06-09T08:14:37.930-05:00design linelarge catsleslie sunsleslie victoria lelandmarkel lelandnew developmentsPulling it Together<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RmChCVqG7WI/AAAAAAAAATE/riI3BtOpcuU/s1600-h/DSCN4690.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RmChCVqG7WI/AAAAAAAAATE/riI3BtOpcuU/s320/DSCN4690.JPG" border="0" /></a> We have had one of those weeks where many outside tasks have demanded our attention and so today, at last, we have had one of those lovely days where we could devote our entire day to work...... which was going swimmingly until I broke a glass while I was washing dishes and badly cut my finger. It might need a stitch, but since we don't have health insurance we bandaged it up and on I went, not willing to spend another day away from working. Sitting in an emergency room is not my idea of how I want to spend a day, especially after spending half a day yesterday, waiting to renew our driver's licenses and then an afternoon of physicals at our doctor's office.<br />We have flowers, fish, cats, suns all in the works and so it was with a great deal of accomplishment that we were able to finish the two cats and sun today....completely.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RmChDVqG7XI/AAAAAAAAATM/EaBv9hakMOw/s1600-h/DSCN4694.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RmChDVqG7XI/AAAAAAAAATM/EaBv9hakMOw/s320/DSCN4694.JPG" border="0" /></a> This guy is going to <a href="http://www.gardenargosy.com/">Garden Argosy</a>, the gallery in Sarasota that carries our work.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RmChD1qG7YI/AAAAAAAAATU/oAmukwgpGm0/s1600-h/DSCN4689.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RmChD1qG7YI/AAAAAAAAATU/oAmukwgpGm0/s320/DSCN4689.JPG" border="0" /></a> A green version, from the same litter, also heading to the same gallery in Sarasota.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RmChEVqG7ZI/AAAAAAAAATc/AzsJ-b1mkEc/s1600-h/DSCN4698.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RmChEVqG7ZI/AAAAAAAAATc/AzsJ-b1mkEc/s320/DSCN4698.JPG" border="0" /></a> ....And a sun for my younger sister Mary, who was a mermaid in another life.<br /><br />We are determined to completely finish more tomorrow. Nothing is planned. We are sequestering ourselves because suddenly we have a very full bulletin board of work and so it's time to get busy. <div style="CLEAR: both"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: 0% 50%; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial" alt="Posted by Picasa" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>http://purplebabydaddies.blogspot.com/2007/06/pulling-it-together.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Leslie Victoria-Leland)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27296750.post-1303744611119693143Fri, 01 Jun 2007 22:10:00 +00002007-06-01T17:21:14.585-05:00markel lelandour work spacethe barnwintermaking friends with the barn<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RmCZXVqG7SI/AAAAAAAAASk/wXvx6ymyBU0/s1600-h/DSCN4672.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RmCZXVqG7SI/AAAAAAAAASk/wXvx6ymyBU0/s320/DSCN4672.JPG" border="0" /></a> We found our house and studio on <a href="http://www.craigslist.com">craigslist</a> from Key West and made all of the arrangements through e-mail. We knew when we arrived that the barn was going to be getting a new roof and that the old roof was going to be taken down, right to the top of the stone on the second floor, and that we wouldn't be able to use it till it was all done. Today was a momentous day! Everything is finished and all of the detritus shown in this photo in <em>front</em> of the barn has been cleaned up and cleared away. It is completely our space. With all of the debris gone I even found a lovely bricked in flower bed right in front of the barn, begging for flowers<br />This is a truly gorgeous building, the oldest stone building of it's kind in Ann Arbor, built in 1898.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RmCZXlqG7TI/AAAAAAAAASs/cVlj7hFDegw/s1600-h/DSCN4681.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RmCZXlqG7TI/AAAAAAAAASs/cVlj7hFDegw/s320/DSCN4681.JPG" border="0" /></a> Markel setting up for mosaic base making.<br />The barn has an immense wood-burning furnace with blowers that works just fine. It needs to be cleaned some time before the fall and some of the stovepipe needs to be replaced. We've hardly even set up the work-space. We're getting the feel of the place first.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RmCZYVqG7UI/AAAAAAAAAS0/Rt4dTLeVEfM/s1600-h/DSCN4682.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RmCZYVqG7UI/AAAAAAAAAS0/Rt4dTLeVEfM/s320/DSCN4682.JPG" border="0" /></a> This is my favorite part, the second floor, notice the new roof beams. It's a big open area and both Markel and I will use it to make our bigger works. Markel is talking about some big sculpture and maybe some large paintings too. He's been writing every morning for over a month now, a long time desire, that I am so happy to see him fulfilling. Maybe some of his condensed ideas will end up in his painting.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RmCZYlqG7VI/AAAAAAAAAS8/QViZf_TKCPc/s1600-h/DSCN4675.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RmCZYlqG7VI/AAAAAAAAAS8/QViZf_TKCPc/s320/DSCN4675.JPG" border="0" /></a> Our front porch, my flower box newly planted, and our beautiful neighborhood. Our neighbors, who are also artists, have the most beautiful garden on our block, lush and intricate. I love this neighborhood.<br /><div style="CLEAR: both"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: 0% 50%; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial" alt="Posted by Picasa" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>http://purplebabydaddies.blogspot.com/2007/06/making-friends-with-barn.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Leslie Victoria-Leland)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27296750.post-6547537921483811878Fri, 01 Jun 2007 21:40:00 +00002007-06-01T16:50:18.683-05:00Lucy and the Puppiesshi-chi'sShi-Chi's: Three Weeks Old<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RmCSUlqG7PI/AAAAAAAAASM/kUwBF58RV_I/s1600-h/DSCN4664.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RmCSUlqG7PI/AAAAAAAAASM/kUwBF58RV_I/s320/DSCN4664.JPG" border="0" /></a> Mr. Corky, the first born- He is the <em>most</em> laid back little guy. He just melts into your hands when he is picked up and is very quiet and cuddly. He remains the largest of the three pups. The other two puppies have actually emitted their first little barks.<br /><br />They are all the <em>fattest</em> little guys. The special diet that we are feeding their mother Lucy seems to be working just fine. I'm sure keeping up with nursing these three is hard...After the weird dog food scare my vet suggested that I make a big pot of chicken, rice and vegies (broccoli, cauliflower, onions cause upset stomachs; I used corn and peas). I refrigerate it and then reconstitute it with warm water and feed it to her three times a day. Cottage cheese is good for her too, since it provides much needed calcium. She also has a full bowl of puppy kibble at all times as advised by the vet. Actually, he had me put her on puppy food while whe was pregnant, for the extra nutrients.<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RmCSVFqG7QI/AAAAAAAAASU/ycCEyHavs2k/s1600-h/DSCN4651.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RmCSVFqG7QI/AAAAAAAAASU/ycCEyHavs2k/s320/DSCN4651.JPG" border="0" /></a> Peanut was posing! I got so many good shots of him. he actually came toward the camera and laid just so....He's becoming fluffy and I'm waiting to see <em>how</em> fluffy they become.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RmCSVVqG7RI/AAAAAAAAASc/99pJEhJQ7yk/s1600-h/DSCN4707.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RmCSVVqG7RI/AAAAAAAAASc/99pJEhJQ7yk/s320/DSCN4707.JPG" border="0" /></a> This is Angel, the tiniest and the third born, also the trail-blazer. He opened his eyes first, and stood and then walked, on all four legs first.<br /><br />They kind of drag themselves around for the first three weeks. They just began to walk on all four legs yesterday, very shakily at first, which was adorable and not easy since they have really short little legs and big fat bodies. They also are starting to show the first signs of play, rolling toward one another, throwing themselves in a very comical fashion, chewing each other's faces. Markel and I just sit and watch them.<br /><br />They are indeed waking up, leaving the newborn stage and becoming roly-poly puppies. It is really gratifying seeing how fast they progress.<br /><br />We just started to move them into the common living area during the day and then back into their cozy bedroom nest with us at night because Lucy, the mom, likes to be near us at all times. I bought a small plastic kiddie pool, making one portion of it a bed and lining the other part with paper, which gets them started on the idea of peeing on paper.<br /><br />That's the latest on the pups world- more next week.<br /><div style="CLEAR: both"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: 0% 50%; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial" alt="Posted by Picasa" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>http://purplebabydaddies.blogspot.com/2007/06/shi-chis-three-weeks-old.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Leslie Victoria-Leland)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27296750.post-9185530728738479551Thu, 31 May 2007 02:20:00 +00002007-07-01T20:12:55.321-05:00design lineoriginal paintingsRed ShoesSomerset JewelersDeep in the Thick of It<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rl4w-FqG7LI/AAAAAAAAARs/uavgDlHwjOA/s1600-h/DSCN4629.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rl4w-FqG7LI/AAAAAAAAARs/uavgDlHwjOA/s320/DSCN4629.JPG" border="0" /></a> It's not all about the shi-chi puppies (but since I mentioned them, 3 week old puppy pics will be coming in a day or two)....we do still make and sell art....though I must admit that the last week has been very rich in living life and enjoying family and friends. It has been a <em>beautiful</em> couple of days. Memorial Day in Michigan arrived after two dark, contemplative, rain-filled, incubative days as a spectacularly bright, sunny, shiny day. I must admit that the dark days were lovely in their own right and oh, how <strong>all</strong> of the new gardens desparately needed the rain.<br /><br />Ann Arbor, a great city for families and people in general, has a fabulous string of community pools and parks that all opened this last weekend. My daughter and two grandchildren and I walked the 10 minute walk from their new house, to their neighborhood pool at Buhr Park, where other family members joined us. Our extended family spent most of Monday afternoon up to our necks in cool, beautiful water and then we topped off the day with a barbecue in the evening.<br /><br />We discovered that my almost 2-year old grand-daughter Juniper most likely has mermaid roots. Being a Michigan baby she hasn't been exposed to much swimming time, but she took to the water with enthusiasm. Michael, her older brother is already a fish. He was a Key West boy for the first 5 years of his life, where swimming in crystal clear, white sandy-bottom, carribean waters is a daily event so it was hard for him not to grow fins.<br /><br />The day was ideal....there was literally nothing wrong with it from start to finish. Winter is officially over.<br /><br />Back to work on Tuesday, which is always really, really nice after a fun-filled, work-free, few days. I'm <strong>always</strong> ready to get back into it. We have a full schedule of orders on the bulletin board, including an order from Somerset Jewelers Gallery, who we have sold to for the past 4-5 years, in Ocean City, Maryland. I'd love to include a link to their store but they don't keep a website. We're pulling <em>everything </em>together, working simultaneously on cats, flamingoes, suns, fish, flowers.<br /><br />The photos above show a cat before it's features have been added and a fish in the early stages.<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rl4w-lqG7MI/AAAAAAAAAR0/Oh-reZREnY4/s1600-h/DSCN4627.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rl4w-lqG7MI/AAAAAAAAAR0/Oh-reZREnY4/s320/DSCN4627.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Flamingoes with their base coat, waiting for glass, eyes, wings.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rl4w-1qG7NI/AAAAAAAAAR8/kcjuWI0TzKg/s1600-h/DSCN4624.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rl4w-1qG7NI/AAAAAAAAAR8/kcjuWI0TzKg/s320/DSCN4624.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Large Flower tops primed and ready for action.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rl4w_FqG7OI/AAAAAAAAASE/kvqgvN6WyNA/s1600-h/DSCN4625.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rl4w_FqG7OI/AAAAAAAAASE/kvqgvN6WyNA/s320/DSCN4625.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Flowers in progress with cat eyes on the table too.<br /><br />I haven't been getting to my <a href="http://leslieandmarkelleland.blogspot.com/">paintings</a> as much I would like. The arrival of summer is directing any extra time that I have, outside to dig in the garden, fill my front porch flower boxes with new soil and flowers, spray paint the wicker furniture I picked up on <a href="http://www.craigslist.com/">craigslist,</a> have cook-outs with the whole family at our friend (and my daughter's mother-in-law) Yvonne's house (we share grandchildren).......plus the less exciting tasks of renewing licenses (YAY- Michigan driver's licenses mean we can start using the library), going to doctor's appointments, shopping for art materials, and all of that other necessary and very time consuming stuff that we have to do to keep everything working. Don't even ask me how the inside of my house looks today. <em>Total </em>disaster zone.<br /><br />Life has gotten speedy all of a sudden, but I keep telling myself it's all a matter of balance. I'm with you Catherine....my new friend who carries our work at <a href="http://www.redshoesllc.typepad.com/">The Red Shoes </a>in Ann Arbor was just talking about the busy-ness of her life the other day, and how easy it is to feel hectic. Indeed, and in spite of how crazy it can make you feel trying to figure out the way to get it all done, it's <strong>much</strong> better than feeling bored. No boredom here. Too, too busy making life happen.<br /><br /><br /><div style="CLEAR: both"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: 0% 50%; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial" alt="Posted by Picasa" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>http://purplebabydaddies.blogspot.com/2007/05/deep-in-thick-of-it.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Leslie Victoria-Leland)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27296750.post-5330111031253302734Wed, 23 May 2007 21:57:00 +00002007-05-25T11:27:07.926-05:00Lucy and the Puppiesshi-chi'sShi-Chi's: Week Two / Very Sad News<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RlS44ptW0kI/AAAAAAAAAQI/JwvTse-vG8w/s1600-h/DSCN4578.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RlS44ptW0kI/AAAAAAAAAQI/JwvTse-vG8w/s320/DSCN4578.JPG" border="0" /></a> Michael, our grandson is with us after school today. I enlisted him to help me take 2 week old birthday photos of the puppies this afternoon. At the time of this writing Michael hasn't been told yet that his dog Jack, who I showed photos of a couple of days ago, accidentally escaped from the yard during the chaos of the move into his family's new house, was hit by a car, and has died today.<br /><br />Michael is already going through a lot with the move to the new house, a disruption in his life. He is losing his neighborhood friends, which is very hard. It's a very good move for the family, but it can be a very big adjustment for kids, especially at first. Now, losing his dog too, will be very difficult. We picked him up right after school today, but it is appropriate that his mother and father tell him the news themselves so we haven't said anything. Watching him with the puppies this afternoon has been touching.<br /><br />It has been a very sad and tragic day for all of us. My daughter Liz's family and all of our extended family, who live nearby, and knew Jack well, are in mourning for him. We all loved Jack. He was a superb very sweet dog.<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RlS45JtW0lI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/HJaxHKqJvwE/s1600-h/DSCN4556.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RlS45JtW0lI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/HJaxHKqJvwE/s320/DSCN4556.JPG" border="0" /></a> Jack, the charming shih-tzu, and handsome father of the shi-chi's.<br /><br /><br /><div style="CLEAR: both"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: 0% 50%; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial" alt="Posted by Picasa" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>http://purplebabydaddies.blogspot.com/2007/05/shi-chis-week-two-and-very-sad-news.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Leslie Victoria-Leland)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27296750.post-8492390134825163990Wed, 23 May 2007 21:42:00 +00002007-05-24T21:22:52.830-05:00Lucy and the Puppiesreal life stuffshi-chi'sShi-Chi's Week Two: Introducing Corky<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RlS1UJtW0iI/AAAAAAAAAP4/MU76d2KBnYI/s1600-h/DSCN4572.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RlS1UJtW0iI/AAAAAAAAAP4/MU76d2KBnYI/s320/DSCN4572.JPG" border="0" /></a> Here's the big boy who I had to encourage to come out and play.....the puppy boy, not the human boy (the human boy, our grandson Michael, always wants to play).<br /><br />After laboring for longer than his mother Lucy should have had to, it was clear I was going to have to go in after him. The only part of Corky that was out were a pair of teeny, darling feet still encased in his placental sac.<br /><br />My puppy delivery (whelping....if you want to be technical) references told me that after the length of time that Lucy had been straining to deliver the puppy, if I didn't go in and try to pull him out manually, his mother Lucy might die. I've whelped three litters of pups but this is the first time of having to face this dilemma....... and chihuahua's are so little. It also said that the puppy might die in the process. Naturally, our dog Lucy was giving birth at 3:00 a.m. so we were on our own. My poor husband Markel, sat by me the whole time, helplessly, but helpfully supportive.<br /><br />Trembling with panic and fear I put my gloves on and managed to slip my hand around his little body and pull him out. Lucy was not happy. In shih-tzu/chihuahua terms he seemed huge and as I slid him out he kept on coming and coming and coming out of his mother. There is no way he would have come out by himself. He was tightly wedged in there. I really had to pull and Lucy was so exhausted by her efforts. I am so grateful that it was a success.<br /><br />I was worried that I had hurt her or introduced infection until the next day when we took the whole litter and mama into the the vet who pronounced mother Lucy and her babies healthy and having come through the birthing process with flying colors, in spite of the initially tenuous situation.<br /><br />I have decided to name the little guys for the time that we have them, until they go with their new families at age 8-10 weeks.....puppy one, puppy two, puppy three just wasn't cutting it anymore.<br /><br />We call this little guy, (puppy number one), Corky, because after the cork (him) was out of the bottle, the rest of the puppies were born with ease. He is very calm and cuddly. I'm thinking that he will actually lighten up and be blond or taffy colored like his mother Lucy, or he might be a little like Lucy's father, who was a beautiful dark brown with gold tips, a long-haired chihuahua named Winslow, who we knew in Key West and who fathered Lucy and her brother Pippin.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RlS1U5tW0jI/AAAAAAAAAQA/wxcm6SCoKv4/s1600-h/DSCN4575.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RlS1U5tW0jI/AAAAAAAAAQA/wxcm6SCoKv4/s320/DSCN4575.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="CLEAR: both"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: 0% 50%; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial" alt="Posted by Picasa" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>http://purplebabydaddies.blogspot.com/2007/05/shi-chis-week-two-introducing-corky.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Leslie Victoria-Leland)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27296750.post-1461797869971020505Wed, 23 May 2007 21:28:00 +00002007-05-23T20:49:15.516-05:00Lucy and the Puppiesreal life stuffshi-chi's....and Peanut- the champion nurser<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RlSyEptW0fI/AAAAAAAAAPg/YdX7uUBQjb4/s1600-h/DSCN4583.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RlSyEptW0fI/AAAAAAAAAPg/YdX7uUBQjb4/s320/DSCN4583.JPG" border="0" /></a> Peanut was born second, soon after I pulled out or should I say freed his brother Corky. Peanut was born face first , very easily, with no trouble. He immediately, after being licked clean by his mother, began nursing and has been enthusiastic about his favorite pastime, eating, ever since. He has inherited his father's coloring. He will grow lighter in all of the areas that are brown . He is a complete dear, the last one to open his eyes.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RlSyFZtW0gI/AAAAAAAAAPo/FOqkt13qW1s/s1600-h/DSCN4582.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RlSyFZtW0gI/AAAAAAAAAPo/FOqkt13qW1s/s320/DSCN4582.JPG" border="0" /></a> <div style="CLEAR: both"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: 0% 50%; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial" alt="Posted by Picasa" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>http://purplebabydaddies.blogspot.com/2007/05/peanut-champion-nurser.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Leslie Victoria-Leland)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27296750.post-3295127725653230080Wed, 23 May 2007 21:21:00 +00002007-05-23T20:57:15.480-05:00Lucy and the Puppiesreal life stuffshi-chi's....and Angel- The last one born, the littlest of the three<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RlSwdZtW0cI/AAAAAAAAAPI/n2L_lIxvLIY/s1600-h/DSCN4596.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RlSwdZtW0cI/AAAAAAAAAPI/n2L_lIxvLIY/s320/DSCN4596.JPG" border="0" /></a> Here he is. Outside on the front porch for the first time in his short little life. Looking at his face in the photo I am noticing the striking white marking on his forehead.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RlSweZtW0dI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/wXfOOKdC6N4/s1600-h/DSCN4588.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RlSweZtW0dI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/wXfOOKdC6N4/s320/DSCN4588.JPG" border="0" /></a> So sweet. He has a very laid back personality so far, and was the first of the three to open his eyes. I must admit that he is the one I have been leaning toward if we decide to keep one, but who knows, I am in love with all of them.<br /><br />Below is a photo taken immediately after birth, and here we are today, at exactly 2 weeks old. Now it's going to get fun. They grow rapidly in the next three weeks. Lucy remains an attentive and devoted mother. Their coats reminded me of little seals when they were born.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RlSweptW0eI/AAAAAAAAAPY/JXGSbtvmdl4/s1600-h/DSCN4453.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/RlSweptW0eI/AAAAAAAAAPY/JXGSbtvmdl4/s320/DSCN4453.JPG" border="0" /></a> <div style="CLEAR: both"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: 0% 50%; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial" alt="Posted by Picasa" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>http://purplebabydaddies.blogspot.com/2007/05/angell-last-one-born-littlest.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Leslie Victoria-Leland)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27296750.post-7560531870886239954Fri, 18 May 2007 22:42:00 +00002007-05-18T17:48:18.960-05:00design linefairy doorsflowersRed Shoespurplebabydaddies at Red Shoes in Ann Arbor<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rk4r1ptW0YI/AAAAAAAAAOo/_lhKRimOHAM/s1600-h/DSCN4566.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rk4r1ptW0YI/AAAAAAAAAOo/_lhKRimOHAM/s320/DSCN4566.JPG" border="0" /></a> Here we are....our flowers gracing the front of <a href="http://www.redshoesllc.typepad.com/">Red Shoes</a>. I am really glad that our Michigan customers can find us now. The store is located at 332 South Ashley in Ann Arbor, one block off of Main Street, behind the Ark (telephone-734-913-5554).<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rk4r1ptW0ZI/AAAAAAAAAOw/B0NGKvheUTw/s1600-h/DSCN4568.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rk4r1ptW0ZI/AAAAAAAAAOw/B0NGKvheUTw/s320/DSCN4568.JPG" border="0" /></a> This is a close-up shot of the <a href="http://urban-fairies.com/LOCATIONSpages/locations.html">fairy door</a>. If you look to the bottom right of the front door of the shop, you'll spot it. It often has tiny gifts left by people for the fairies. Inside the shop, you can leave a note to the tiny inhabitants.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rk4r15tW0aI/AAAAAAAAAO4/3JrNpgjqr8Y/s1600-h/DSCN4563.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rk4r15tW0aI/AAAAAAAAAO4/3JrNpgjqr8Y/s320/DSCN4563.JPG" border="0" /></a> this is the fairy door from the inside, looking out.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rk4r15tW0bI/AAAAAAAAAPA/TA-8WNnHFy4/s1600-h/DSCN4567.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rk4r15tW0bI/AAAAAAAAAPA/TA-8WNnHFy4/s320/DSCN4567.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.redshoeshomegoods.com/index.cfm">Red Shoes</a>.....check it out.<br /><div style="CLEAR: both"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: 0% 50%; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial" alt="Posted by Picasa" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>http://purplebabydaddies.blogspot.com/2007/05/purplebabydaddies-at-red-shoes-in-ann.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Leslie Victoria-Leland)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27296750.post-4928578639970845322Fri, 18 May 2007 22:14:00 +00002007-05-18T18:03:29.500-05:00real life stuffRoom to grow<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rk4lVZtW0UI/AAAAAAAAAOI/D0DCbcc_nXA/s1600-h/DSCN4527.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rk4lVZtW0UI/AAAAAAAAAOI/D0DCbcc_nXA/s320/DSCN4527.JPG" border="0" /></a> The big news of the day is the house that my daughter Liz is moving into. I got to go with her to pick up her keys and share in her first moments of life in the house. We walked through, examining every nook and cranny, musing and dreaming of designing those rooms. I could see the wheels turning in my daughter's mind as we studied the rooms. This is her family's first house, as opposed to an apartment or duplex. That means a fenced in yard of their own, a bedroom for each of the kids, a finished playroom in the basement and her own washer and dryer right at the bottom of the stairs. Big stuff for a hard working girl. They will probably be here for a long time to come.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rk4lW5tW0VI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/Av3V-AdYtAE/s1600-h/DSCN4553.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rk4lW5tW0VI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/Av3V-AdYtAE/s320/DSCN4553.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Beautiful, green Ann Arbor in May. This is their new street from their new front yard.....<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rk4lXZtW0WI/AAAAAAAAAOY/iF8EDUolWsE/s1600-h/DSCN4544.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rk4lXZtW0WI/AAAAAAAAAOY/iF8EDUolWsE/s320/DSCN4544.JPG" border="0" /></a> ....and the backyard, complete with a sturdy play structure. During our exploration of the yard we found among other things, peonies, lilac bushes of every color, and a generous patch of lily of the valley.....<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rk4lX5tW0XI/AAAAAAAAAOg/4h_yohFTqAg/s1600-h/DSCN4520.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rk4lX5tW0XI/AAAAAAAAAOg/4h_yohFTqAg/s320/DSCN4520.JPG" border="0" /></a> Inside there are sweet rooms, lots of windows and gorgeous wood floors. Oh boy, now the work of moving (with a 2 year old and 7 year old) begins. <div style="CLEAR: both"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: 0% 50%; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial" alt="Posted by Picasa" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>http://purplebabydaddies.blogspot.com/2007/05/room-to-grow.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Leslie Victoria-Leland)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27296750.post-388571040992855944Fri, 18 May 2007 21:58:00 +00002007-05-18T17:59:32.538-05:00Lucy and the Puppiesshi-chi'sThis is Jack, the Shi-chi's father<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rk4hjJtW0SI/AAAAAAAAAN4/IFgo5bOHjOA/s1600-h/DSCN4556.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rk4hjJtW0SI/AAAAAAAAAN4/IFgo5bOHjOA/s320/DSCN4556.JPG" border="0" /></a> Handsome Jack with the sweet face, the fluffy, 100% shih-tzu, part of the new little puppy equation, the shi part of the shi-chi mix. The puppies have short hair now, but even shih-tzu puppies have short hair when they're born. In the next few weeks the pups will be fluffing up.<br />Jack has his summer hair-cut here; normally his hair would be extremely long. He's a great dog, sweet-tempered, great with kids, tempering the chihuahua personality which can be high strung......to put it mildly.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rk4hjZtW0TI/AAAAAAAAAOA/hzfn6IGgwpo/s1600-h/DSCN4561.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_43IywBSJMEI/Rk4hjZtW0TI/AAAAAAAAAOA/hzfn6IGgwpo/s320/DSCN4561.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="CLEAR: both"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: 0% 50%; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial" alt="Posted by Picasa" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>http://purplebabydaddies.blogspot.com/2007/05/this-is-jack-shi-chis-father.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Leslie Victoria-Leland)0